The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased ratings have been dismissed. The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy on a secondary basis to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy is found to be the result of his service-connected lumbar spine disability, meeting the criteria for secondary service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, rhinitis with a history of sinusitis, left lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, right lower extremity femoral nerve radiculopathy, left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20072755
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to a duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including GERD, chronic kidney disease, COPD, a heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea, as additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemical agents during his service.
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